The invention relates to plumbing for the toilet bowl and closet ring of a toilet assembly and more specifically to a unique method of stabilizing said toilet assembly toilet to a floor with unparalleled ease and concomitant strength and stability and a unique tool to minimize the effort and eliminate the need for an assistant.
When toilets are initially installed in new construction or when retrofit installations are being made the process is usually done on wood sub-flooring and customarily referred to as a toilet rough. The procedure now being used has been in use for more than 50 years.
It has always been a problem to secure the closet ring on top of the sub-floor and it is the closet ring to which the toilet bowl portion of the toilet is anchored. The base portion of the toilet bowl typically receives two brass bolts that are attached to the closet ring and a small nut and washer hold it in place. The closet ring is to be supported by the sub-flooring. The closet ring is attached to the wood flooring or sub-flooring with four brass screws into the flooring under the closet ring. It can also have some wood blocking below the flooring to help hold the brass screws in place.
Under current practice, the outside diameter of the closet ring is approximately equal or slightly less than the inside diameter of a sewer pipe to which the closet ring is ultimately bonded. The order of the process may be first securing the closet ring to the sub-floor and then connecting and bonding the sewer pipe to the closet ring or the sewer pipe may be roughed-in first flush with the top surface of the sub-floor and then the closet ring inserted into and bonded to the sewer pipe.
Under some older practices, the inside diameter of the closet ring is equal to or slight greater than the outside diameter of the sewer pipe in which case the closet ring is fitted over and bonded to the sewer pipe. In even some cases, though rare, the diameters of both the closet ring and the sewer pipe are approximately equal in which case a coupler is required.
Regardless of how connected, a problem which occurs in virtually every installation is that the brass bolts that hold the toilet bowl to the closet ring become corroded and loosen and water then seeps into the sub-flooring causing the wood to rot. The brass screws holding the closet ring to the floor become loose and cause the toilet base to rock on the floor causing water leakage and resultant damage to the floor [if the toilet is on the first floor] or the ceiling below [if the toilet is on a second or greater floor above].
The answer to loose and rocking toilets comes from the new and unique toilet anchor unit and a unique method of installing stabilizing devices for toilets. The toilet anchor unit is installed below the sub-floor and with rust-resistant screws that would normally mount a closet ring generally to a wood sub-floor. These are extended through the wood from above and into and through the support panel portion of a stabilizer device such as the toilet anchor unit.
The toilet anchor unit or equivalent stabilizing device should be made of stabilizing ABS or PVC that has been approved by IAPMO [International Association of Plumbing & Heating Officials] through intense testing per their specifications and certified by ASTM [American Society for Testing Materials] standards thereby correcting the problem of wood rot at base of toilets and the loosening of screws because the toilet anchor unit or equivalent stabilizing device is impervious to moisture or water damage. The closet ring typically is solvent welded into the top opening sleeve through the toilet anchor unit which then creates a new process of compression by screws and welding that cannot become loose from moisture and cannot become loose from any heavy use of a toilet that is attached to it from above sub-floor.
This new toilet anchor unit has a platform that extends outside of the footprint of any type floor mounted toilet and is secured to sub-floor with market provided screws to hold it in place below the sub-floor, this also eliminates any need for code required wood blocking, and if the hole cut into the sub-floor was too large to allow rust resistant screws (which are required by UPC Code [Universal Plumbing Code]) to hold down the closet ring to floor.
This new invention and new process not only is far superior to any other stated or known process for stabilizing toilets to the flooring that they rest on and are secured to, it not only eliminates any loosening of any closet ring manufactured by others from ever becoming loosened by water seepage from above the floor and under the base of a toilet. This new process can be compared to the same concept as the top button of a pair of Levis' which is bonded to the pants. It is a compressed application of button on top and the toilet anchor unit or equivalent stabilizer device on the bottom of the material.
Building processes today are far superior to those in the past, they are much faster with better products, such as plastic, and are much improved because of earthquakes, wind, and other disasters that can cause damage to homes and offices or work places. Experience has proven that there has always been a problem securing a toilet to its base, and primarily because of how it is attached to the floor.
There have been a lot of ideas and inventions provided and some of them have tried to solve this problem, but all of them have fallen short of the new toilet anchor unit and the process of installation using such a unit of equivalent stabilizing device. This new process and installation procedure provides a complete and permanent bond for the closet ring to be anchored and gives any toilet attached to the closet ring from above the most stable foundation that can be provided. The closet ring virtually cannot loosen even if the toilet, which is attached to it from above does become loose from age or use and waste water seeps into the screw fastener holes and causes the wood to rot. Since screws holding the closet ring are driven into the stabilizer, which is secured to the sub-floor with screws driven therethrough, wood rot has not effect on these screws. The closet ring remains intact.
The whole floor beneath the toilet and completely outside of the base footprint of the toilet would need to become saturated for a very long period for the toilet anchor unit or equivalent stabilizing device to fail because of the new and unique three part process of compression and bonding of [1] the closet ring, [2] the wood sub-floor, and [3] the toilet anchor unit or equivalent stabilizing device and, in particular to the method of attaching these three components for the ultimate of stabilization. All piping attached to the closet ring from below the sub-floor is same whether with or without the toilet anchor unit.
This novel process and tool simplifies the entire process, provides greater strength and stability to the toilet-floor combination, and is substantially less costly than the current conventional methods.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the method and device of the present disclosure. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the method and device of the present disclosure. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed method and device of the present disclosure in a different manner or by modifying the method and device of the present disclosure within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the method and device of the present disclosure may be had by referring to the summary of the method and device of the present disclosure and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the method and device of the present disclosure defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.